Brass Band

Triptych

Grade 3|13 Mins

The Swiss Band Federation commissioned Triptych for Section 2 of their 16th Brass Band Championships in Montreux, 1990.

It is in three connected movements:

1. Pageant

Has a slightly medieval mood through use of modal harmony and starts with a single line with the feel of a fanfare. The texture thickens as layer is laid upon layer until a chordal climax is reached. A second, but still martial, subject leads back to the original fanfare and after material is restated three themes combine to close the movement.

2. Fantasy on One Note

A hymn-like movement, which has a concert ‘F’ present throughout. As the harmony changes, the ‘F’ appears in various parts of the band but returns to the 2nd and 3rd cornets under changing harmony to lead to:

3. Festival

A joyous movement with a lively tune first stated by the trombones and euphoniums. The full band takes this up. A cantabile second subject is introduced by the euphoniums and again taken up ‘tutti’. The first tune the reappears to bring the movement to a close.